Henrico supervisors to consider first residential units within Virginia Center Commons footprint

The first planned residential units within the footprint of Virginia Center Commons could take shape soon, and others may not be far behind.

The Henrico Board of Supervisors Feb. 9 will hear a rezoning request from Stanley Martin Homes, which is seeking to build no more than 75 townhomes on 4.6 acres of vacant land at the site, behind the Virginia Credit Union and Wendy’s locations just off Brook Road.

The developer is requesting a switch from B-3C (business district) to R-6C (residential district) zoning. The Henrico Planning Commission last month endorsed the request, but supervisors hold ultimate decision-making authority.

The mall site is beginning a transformation, making way for the construction of Henrico County’s new indoor arena and convocation center on its east side and a mixed-use development across other acreage.

The 4,500-seat arena will rise near the site of the former Sears and Macy’s buildings, the latter of which is being demolished currently and the former of which will be soon. Henrico last year paid The Rebkee Co. $8.3 million to buy nearly 25 acres for the arena, which it hopes to open sometime in early or mid-2023.

Stanley Martin intends to build its townhomes according to the framework of new zoning and subdivision ordinance guidelines the county is expected to adopt at some point this year. Those include six-foot-wide sidewalks, five-foot-wide landscape stripes, street trees and lights, as well as some parallel parking spots, according to a planning staff report.

The homes would have brick or stone foundations and at least 35% of the total front elevations of the buildings also would contain brick or stone, according to the report.

The townhomes are expected to general 520 daily round trips of traffic and become home to about 24 school-age students, who could be accommodated at Longdale Elementary, Brookland Middle and Hermitage High Schools within existing capacity levels, planners wrote.

After completing their purchase of the J.C. Penney store at the mall for $3 million last month, subsidiaries of Rebkee and Shamin Hotels now own virtually all of the remaining mall site, except for the American Family Fitness building. The Penney’s location is expected to close within the next few months.

Rebkee co-founder Rob Hargett told supervisors in October that the company was planning a mixed-use development adjacent to the arena, and Hargett said its first plans involve 55 townhomes on one parcel.
The company hopes to add some retail and perhaps office space, as well, he said. The residential properties that eventually develop there likely will be a mix, he said.

“We like ownership [properties], we like maybe some affordable [housing], but we can’t put in 35 coffee shops,” he said. “We’re going to need some different types of retail.”

The Richmond Times-dispatch reported Jan. 25 that Hargett and his group were planning to submit a rezoning request this month that could seek approval for as many as 400 apartments on the Penney site.

Shamin is planning a hotel and conference center as part of the project, too.